Tag Archives: Lessons Learned

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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Attack Helicopter Company Observations & Best Practices

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When managed correctly, Army Attack Aviation represents the most flexible and powerful combat multiplier a Division Commander can direct to any area of operations. Unlike a counterinsurgency fight, attack aviation in a decisive action training environment must be conserved to affect the fight in accordance with the friendly scheme of maneuver in a synchronized manner. Most often, this implies employing attack aviation, en masse, as a maneuver element to destroy significant enemy capabilities. Whether committed to weight the main effort, employed as a separate maneuver formation as an economy of force or in the deep area, Commanders must specifically focus how attack aviation elements are employed. Today, our attack aviation companies can provide additional capabilities, unheard of during the counterinsurgency days of the early 2000’s. Yet, our ability to employ those capabilities is dependent upon a unit’s ability to train them effectively at home station. 

U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew-chief scans the horizon during a 20 multi-ship air assault to the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Island of Hawaii, Nov. 11, 2019. During the fire support coordination exercise at PTA, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade is tasked with providing troop-lift, air-assault, and close air support.
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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Signal Company & C2 Observations & Best Practices

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The criticality of command and control as a warfighting function cannot be overstated. Without the ability to communicate, units cannot conduct synchronized operations. Without proper systems that enable control, synchronization of activities across the formation becomes nearly impossible. Yet, formations habitually dedicate less time to training how to effectively communicate at echelon than many other tasks. The lack of training and associated routine operator level maintenance results in improperly maintained or non-mission capable equipment, automatically degrading the combat power of the larger combined arms team. Remember, if you can’t talk, you can’t fight. 

Paratroopers assigned to 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, advance into the woodline while participating in the unit’s Spur Ride in Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Nov. 20, 2019. The Spur Ride is the only means of joining the Order of the Spur, aside from a wartime induction. The conduct of Spur Ride varies but it is generally an event held over multiple days during which a trooper must pass a series of physical and mental tests relevant to the Cavalry. (U.S. Army photo by Henry Villarama)
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NTC Update (NOV 19)

Transportation Company Observations & Best Practices

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According to ATP 4-11 (Motor Transportation Operations), one Transportation Composite Truck Company (Heavy) is designated per Division with an Armored Brigade Combat Team (BCT). The CTC is assigned to the Sustainment Brigade in support of Division operations usually attached to a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) (Sustainment Handbook, 2019). The CTC Mission is to perform Transportation and convoy security support to Sustainment Brigade operations for a Heavy Division. They provide transportation assets for the movement and distribution of dry and refrigerated containerized cargo, general non-containerized cargo, ammunition, bottled water, bulk water (when equipped with tank racks / hippos), heavy equipment, tanks and oversized loads as well as perform unit moves, transport personnel, and provides escort services for contracted trucks. 

(U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Brooke Davis, Operations Group, National Training Center)
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The Danger of “Should”

Guest Post by Capt. Benjamin Hockman

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In 218 B.C.E., Hannibal crossed the Alps and invaded the Italian peninsula. It should not have been possible to bring a large army, including cavalry and elephants, along that route during winter. When the two armies met at Cannae, Hannibal’s elephants were long dead, and he was outnumbered 5 to 3. The Roman leadership assumed their standard tactics would be sufficient. What should have been a straightforward victory became one of the most famous massacres in military history; Hannibal slaughtered virtually all of the 50,000 Romans.

A 173rd Airborne Brigade Paratrooper gives directions to his troops while participating in Exercise Immediate Response at Pocek Training Area, Slovenia, May 15, 2019. Exercise Immediate Response is a multinational exercise co-led by Croatian Armed Forces, Slovenian Armed Forces, and U.S. Army Europe. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Henry Villarama)
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Attacking Razish – Part II

Getting Punched in the Face

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After seven hours of fighting our way through the central corridor the support by fire was set, obscuration smoke was out, our task force engineers were reducing the breach and my assault force began moving forward to quickly secure the far side objective and seize a foothold in the city. After months of preparation and midway through our combined arms breach the brigade was poised to take the largest city in the national training center and my battalion was about to lead the assault. That’s when things started to go wrong and failure ensued.

Paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, participate in Exercise Rock Spring 19 at Grafenwoher Training Area, Germany, March 6, 2019. Rock Spring is an annual exercise to validate platoon-level proficiency at conducting offensive operations under live-fire conditions. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Henry Villarama)
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Attacking Razish – Part I

Top 5 Keys to Success

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Twenty-four hours after completing our assault on the National Training Center’s largest urban objective, Razish, I took two pages of notes on the things that I felt made us successful. Like all lessons in the Army, none of these are new or novel. And, like all lessons at NTC, just because you know what you need to fix doesn’t always mean that you can pull it all together in the face of the short timelines, harsh conditions, and the ever-present 11thArmored Cavalry Regiment. Here are my top 5.